Kuwait accuses Iran of failed commando raid near Chinese funded port

Wednesday 13 May 2026 - 07:18

By: Dakir Madiha

Kuwait accuses Iran of failed commando raid near Chinese funded port

Kuwait accused Iran on Tuesday of sending an armed unit linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to infiltrate Bubiyan Island, home to a major Chinese backed port project in the northern Gulf. The alleged operation marks a new escalation in regional tensions as US President Donald Trump departed Washington for a state visit to China.

Kuwaiti authorities said six armed members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards attempted to enter Bubiyan Island on May 1. Security forces reportedly arrested four suspects, including two naval captains, a naval lieutenant and an army lieutenant affiliated with the Iranian force. Two additional men escaped during the operation after Kuwaiti forces intercepted the group. A member of Kuwait’s security services was injured during the confrontation.

Officials in Kuwait stated that the group intended to carry out “hostile acts” on the island but did not specify the planned targets or objectives. Authorities initially disclosed the failed infiltration on May 3 without identifying Iran as the suspected source. Tehran had not issued an official response to the accusations by Tuesday evening. The incident occurred near the strategically important island of Bubiyan, located close to both Iraq and Iran at the northern edge of the Persian Gulf.

The timing of the accusations has drawn attention across diplomatic and security circles. Trump began a three day visit to Beijing from May 13 to May 15 for high level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Iran is expected to feature prominently in discussions between the two leaders. China remains a major buyer of sanctioned Iranian crude oil and has faced economic pressure from disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, where previous fighting triggered a broader global energy crisis.

Bubiyan Island hosts the Mubarak Al Kabeer Port project, a key infrastructure development tied to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The area has already been exposed to regional conflict during previous confrontations involving Iran. Iranian forces had previously targeted relocated American military positions on the island during the wider Gulf conflict earlier this year.

Separately, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicly confirmed that Israel deployed Iron Dome missile defense batteries and military personnel to the United Arab Emirates during the conflict with Iran. The deployment marked the first known wartime stationing of an Israeli Iron Dome battery inside another country. Israeli officials said the system successfully intercepted Iranian missiles over Emirati territory.

The developments underscore the fragility of the ceasefire that followed weeks of Iranian strikes against Gulf Cooperation Council states earlier this year. Those attacks caused civilian and military casualties and severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain stalled, raising fears of renewed confrontation across the Gulf region.